Crockpot Mexican Chicken

Okay, I know I say this every time I post something, but I believe I might have found a new favorite recipe. I feel pretty confident this time because I've made this about 6 times since I first found it a couple of months ago. I've also gotten a couple people hooked on it, so I take that as a good sign. This chicken is pretty darn good by itself, but it's also fabulous as a taco base or even over pasta (as beautifully showcased here). I also like to add a little cheese and jalapeños to the top of mine.

Note: Since I've tried this a few times, I've found that chicken tenderloins work out better if you're putting this over pasta. It eliminates the need to shred the chicken and it will cook faster.

Ingredients:

1 package boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or breasts. (this can be anywhere from 1-1.5 pounds)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of salsa (any kind is fine, but the chunky kind is less runny)
1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream, if you prefer)
1 package of taco seasoning

Directions:

1. Add everything but the chicken. Stir until blended.
2. Add chicken, making sure it's covered in the sauce.
3. Cook on low for about 4-6 hours, or until chicken is white all the way through. Note: Cook time can vary depending on how you cut your chicken. It can take longer if you're using whole chicken breasts.

Recipe slightly varied from Chef Mommy.

Baked Jalapeño Poppers - 2pp

By now you should realize that I love Skinny Taste. Here's another one of my favorite recipes by Gina. I used some corn flake crumbs instead of panko since I had some left over from a chicken recipe. Here's the original recipe. Stay tuned below for mine.

Makes 12 servings of 2 poppers each. Each serving has 2 Points Plus and about 62 calories.

Ingredients:
12 jalapeño peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
4.5 oz light cream cheese
5 medium scallions, green part only, sliced
2 oz shredded low fat sharp cheddar
1/2 cup egg beaters
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1/8 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp chili powder
spray oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cut peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Combine cream cheese, cheddar and scallions in a medium bowl.
Mix corn flake crumbs, paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder in another bowl.
Fill peppers with cream cheese mix.
Dip in egg beaters.
Put the pepper in the corn flake mix and coat.
Place the peppers on an oil-sprayed baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops of the peppers with the spray.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and cheese oozes out.
Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serve hot.

Taco Pasta - 8 pp

This is one of my new favorite recipes! I found the original version by Canadian Moms Cook through my Pinterest. I made it a while back and while I liked it, I thought it needed just a couple changes. To be honest, I really only added more cheese and little Rotel, but I think it made a difference.

It's ridiculously easy and relatively quick to make.

Makes 8 1-cup servings. Each serving is 8 points plus.

Ingredients:

1/2 - 3/4 box of bowtie pasta
1 pound of ground beef (I used ground sirloin because I'm fancy and it has a lot less fat).
1 pkg/envelope of taco seasoning
1 cup of water
1/2 can of tomatoes with green chiles (i.e. Rotel)
3/4 package of cream cheese (I actually used Neufchâtel, but you could live it up)
1 1/2 (approx) cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil pasta until just cooked; drain, run cold water over it.
3. While pasta is cooking, brown ground beef.
4. Mix taco seasoning and the water; pour over cooked beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced.
5. Add the cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat.
6. Combine pasta and about 1 cup of the cheese. Add 1/2 can of Rotel. (note: I normally do this in the same pot I cooked the pasta in. You can do it in your casserole dish, but it seemed to messy to me)
7. Top pasta and cheese with beef mixture, gently mix until the pasta is coated.
8. Transfer to casserole and top with remaining 1/2 (and maybe more!) cup of shredded cheese.
9. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes.

Additional Note: I have used both a 9x13" dish and a 1-quart dish for this recipe and both worked fine. Also, I kind of eyeball the amount of cheese used on the top; 1/2 cup is just a guideline. You can do more or less.